Related Links

JIMMY SMOTHERS: Senior Bowl provides NFL proving ground

Alabama's Courtney Upshaw (41) runs through drills with Troy offensive lineman James Brown (70) during the South's practice for Saturday's Senior Bowl college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Press-Register, John David Mercer) MAGS OUT

AP

By Jimmy SmothersTimes Sports Editor Emeritus

Published: Friday, January 27, 2012 at 10:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 4:28 p.m.

COMMENTARY

MOBILE — To a lot of college football seniors, the Senior Bowl is a proving ground, a great opportunity to prove that they are worthy of an opportunity to play in the National Football League. To some of the others, Senior Bowl week gives them a chance to improve their position in the draft, which comes up in April.

Although every player on the roster for either the North or South squad has drawn enough interest from NFL scouts to have earned an invitation to this, the nation's greatest all-star game, many of them are borderline players.

At least 10 Senior Bowl players have been selected in the first round of the pro draft during the past seven straight years, and a top-10 pick has played in this game during the past 15 years. Still, being invited to Mobile for this game isn't an assurance that it represents a shot for a spot with some team in football's major leagues. It certainly doesn't guarantee they will go in the first round and wind up with million dollar contracts.

However, this game does represent a glimmer of hope. The players give it their all each day in practice, hoping to catch the eye of some coach or scout. It has happened before, and will again. Some players come in that don't fit the criteria of height, weight and quickness, but try to make up for that with effort, desire and performance.

The game itself is big and entertaining and the competitive players all want to win. But that's not the bottom line. By game time, most of the scouts and assistant coaches have come and gone; they have their answers. They have interviewed the players in whom they were interested, they have noted what they did in various drills and practices, and they have moved the players up and down on their lists, according to what they saw and heard.

One of the questions that reporters always ask the players is how they feel about their stock — has it gone up or down?

In the past, the Senior Bowl committee wanted to see a lot of Alabama and Auburn players — and several from other SEC schools — on the roster because it helped ticket sales. In recent years that hasn't played much of a role as the game has been sold out, just as it is this year where there are four Alabama players but only one from Auburn.

There also are one each from UAB, Troy and North Alabama.

Overall, there are 21 players from 10 SEC schools with Alabama and Georgia leading the pack with four each and LSU with three. Ole Miss and Kentucky are the only SEC teams that are not represented.

This year's overall roster (North and South) includes 20 All-America players and countless All-Conference picks. More than 250 members of the media requested credentials to cover the event. Many are columnists and beat writers from media that covers NFL teams across the country. They want to get an inside tract into the players their team may draft. Many are writers for the colleges represented, here to follow up on the careers of the star players they covered last fall.

The Senior Bowl also has a Hall of Fame. Inductee ceremonies were Friday night. Those inducted this year were Donovan McNabb, of Syracuse, who played in the 1999 Senior Bowl; Keith Brooking, of Georgia Tech, who played here in the 1988 game and was a five-time Pro-Bowl pick; and coaching legend Dan Reeves, who has coached in this game three times and been a part of nine NFL championship teams.

Last year the South won, 24-10, giving it a 30-26-3 advantage in the overall series. From last year's game, 12 players were first round picks and 83 players overall were drafted, including four quarterbacks. There were two top 10 picks last year – Von Miller and Jake Locker.

This year? Who knows? But it seems a sure bet that Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw will be a first-round pick. He is listed here as a defensive lineman. NFL Network's Charles Davis says that he has been a marvel and that his performance here this week has certainly bolstered his standing.

The toughest offensive linemen is said to have been Gordy Glenn of Georgia, who has been almost impossible for opposing defenders to handle.

The other three Alabama players are defensive back DeQuan Menzie, tight end Brad Smelley and offensive lineman William Vlachos. Long snapper Josh Harris is the only Auburn player here this year.

Times Sports Editor Emeritus Jimmy Smothers can be reached at jmmys1@aol.com. His new book, The Game, may be purchased at The Gadsden Times customer service desk.

<p class="bold allcaps">COMMENTARY</p>
<p>MOBILE — To a lot of college football seniors, the Senior Bowl is a proving ground, a great opportunity to prove that they are worthy of an opportunity to play in the National Football League. To some of the others, Senior Bowl week gives them a chance to improve their position in the draft, which comes up in April.</p><p>Although every player on the roster for either the North or South squad has drawn enough interest from NFL scouts to have earned an invitation to this, the nation's greatest all-star game, many of them are borderline players.</p><p>At least 10 Senior Bowl players have been selected in the first round of the pro draft during the past seven straight years, and a top-10 pick has played in this game during the past 15 years. Still, being invited to Mobile for this game isn't an assurance that it represents a shot for a spot with some team in football's major leagues. It certainly doesn't guarantee they will go in the first round and wind up with million dollar contracts.</p><p>However, this game does represent a glimmer of hope. The players give it their all each day in practice, hoping to catch the eye of some coach or scout. It has happened before, and will again. Some players come in that don't fit the criteria of height, weight and quickness, but try to make up for that with effort, desire and performance.</p><p>The game itself is big and entertaining and the competitive players all want to win. But that's not the bottom line. By game time, most of the scouts and assistant coaches have come and gone; they have their answers. They have interviewed the players in whom they were interested, they have noted what they did in various drills and practices, and they have moved the players up and down on their lists, according to what they saw and heard.</p><p>One of the questions that reporters always ask the players is how they feel about their stock — has it gone up or down?</p><p>In the past, the Senior Bowl committee wanted to see a lot of Alabama and Auburn players — and several from other SEC schools — on the roster because it helped ticket sales. In recent years that hasn't played much of a role as the game has been sold out, just as it is this year where there are four Alabama players but only one from Auburn.</p><p>There also are one each from UAB, Troy and North Alabama.</p><p>Overall, there are 21 players from 10 SEC schools with Alabama and Georgia leading the pack with four each and LSU with three. Ole Miss and Kentucky are the only SEC teams that are not represented.</p><p>This year's overall roster (North and South) includes 20 All-America players and countless All-Conference picks. More than 250 members of the media requested credentials to cover the event. Many are columnists and beat writers from media that covers NFL teams across the country. They want to get an inside tract into the players their team may draft. Many are writers for the colleges represented, here to follow up on the careers of the star players they covered last fall.</p><p>The Senior Bowl also has a Hall of Fame. Inductee ceremonies were Friday night. Those inducted this year were Donovan McNabb, of Syracuse, who played in the 1999 Senior Bowl; Keith Brooking, of Georgia Tech, who played here in the 1988 game and was a five-time Pro-Bowl pick; and coaching legend Dan Reeves, who has coached in this game three times and been a part of nine NFL championship teams.</p><p>Last year the South won, 24-10, giving it a 30-26-3 advantage in the overall series. From last year's game, 12 players were first round picks and 83 players overall were drafted, including four quarterbacks. There were two top 10 picks last year – Von Miller and Jake Locker.</p><p>This year? Who knows? But it seems a sure bet that Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw will be a first-round pick. He is listed here as a defensive lineman. NFL Network's Charles Davis says that he has been a marvel and that his performance here this week has certainly bolstered his standing.</p><p>The toughest offensive linemen is said to have been Gordy Glenn of Georgia, who has been almost impossible for opposing defenders to handle.</p><p>The other three Alabama players are defensive back DeQuan Menzie, tight end Brad Smelley and offensive lineman William Vlachos. Long snapper Josh Harris is the only Auburn player here this year.</p>
<p class="italic font120">Times Sports Editor Emeritus Jimmy Smothers can be reached at jmmys1@aol.com. His new book, The Game, may be purchased at The Gadsden Times customer service desk.</p>